Some geeks are able to transition easily from childhood to adult life – they can make their bed, get a “real” job and do sensible things like sort out a good pension plan. Then there’s geeks who will instantly regress to re-enacting Star Wars scenes when you hand them a laser pointer, and whose partners would be truly shocked if they found out exactly how much money is spent on toys every month. Like me; I fear the day my wife reads our credit card statement.

So it’s with pleasure I present you with this list of super gifts for the geek who never grew up. Mum, I hope you’re reading this. Hint: any of these would be great, thanks.

Geek T-Shirts

While any typical adult would be ashamed of wearing a superhero t-shirt, your geek will rejoice that you truly understand them. 8-ball T-Shirts are particularly cool and offer a full range of designs worn by Sheldon (from Big Bang Theory). We even offer our own set of MakeUseOf designs you should check out.

Minecraft is like digital LEGO; a sandbox environment that you can build anything with. So naturally, any big child-at-heart geek would love this real-life 8-bit sword and pickaxe set at about $40. They may start running around saying things like “the creepers are coming”, but rest assured these foam weapons are quite harmless.

Laser Pointer

To any normal person, a laser is probably just that thing inside a CD-ROM drive. To a geek that never grew up, a laser is a gloriously coherent monochromatic electromagnetic radiation beam of sheer awesomeness. Red is boring though: go for green, blue, or purple for extra wow factor. WickerLasers.com are the best; the Nano line starts at $99.

If you’re in the UK, check out my own recently launched DuinoBits store where you can buy a jam-packed starter kit for £70 (and use the coupon code “makeuseof” for 5% off); for our US readers, Adafruit sell a smaller starter pack for $85. Don’t forget to send them a link to our free Getting Started with Arduino guide.

Helicopters are boring: your geek wants a quadrocopter. The Parrot AR Drone 2.0 ($300) is controlled by iOS or Android mobile devices, and features two HD cameras. It’s an incredible bit of kit – lots of fun to fly, and able to take some amazing video footage if your subject matter is right. You can read my full review of the Parrot AR droneParrot AR Drone 2.0 Review and GiveawayParrot AR Drone 2.0 Review and GiveawayThe Parrot AR Drone 2.0 is the most expensive remote control toy money can buy; it’s a smartphone controlled quadrocopter with a 720p HD camera, and it’s ridiculously fun, but quite temperamental. What follows is...Read More here, along with some sample videos taken from the device.

Oculus Rift Developers Kit [No Longer Available]

The future of virtual reality is already upon us: although not officially launched as a consumer product, the Oculus Rift is already being tipped as the next great gaming revolution. It’s a virtual reality headset which tracks your head movements, giving the stunning illusion of being in a completely different environment. There even unofficial support for games like Skyrim and MineCraft. Read my full review of the OculusOculus Rift Development Kit Review and GiveawayOculus Rift Development Kit Review and GiveawayThe Oculus Rift has finally arrived, and is making heads turn (literally) all over the gaming community. No longer are we confined to to peering through a flat window into the gaming worlds we love...Read More development kit here.

Demand has outstripped supply for the past year, but it looks like things are finally picking up. The site is currently listing December 2013 shipping for new orders – you might want to contact them to confirm the exact shipping date. Failing that, you could always grab one off eBay.

Man Dolls

Who said dolls are just for girls? This 9-inch talking Bender would make a superb addition to any big geek’s desk, with a variety of phrases like “Bite my shiny metal ass” just a press of a button away.

Hornby Digital Train Set

Model railroads have come a long way since I was a kid: they’re digital now, so you can run a number of trains on the same track without having to mess about with electrically isolating sections. Be warned though: the hobby has a tendency to turn from a single starter set to “we’re just going to convert the loft”.

Are you a big kid at heart? Tell us what you’d want for the holidays, then point your partner in the direction of this list and hope they take the hint.

James has a BSc in Artificial Intelligence, and is CompTIA A+ and Network+ certified. He's the lead developer of MakeUseOf, and spends his free time playing VR paintball and boardgames. He's been building PCs since he was a kid.